How to fly your Dragon Slayer
by Chargrilled39
Summary: It's been eight years now since Igneel, Metalicana and the other dragons had vanished, "Dragon slayers were initially used and taught to deal with dragons right? If dragons could fly, wouldn't the slayers have to as well to keep up with them?" Gradual Natsu/Gajeel. ON HOLD.
1. Fire-fight

**A/N:Hey guys! first story here and I figured it may as well cover two of my favorite anime characters - Gajeel and Natsu! This will be a fairly long story that includes the developing friendship and eventual relationship between both. As they are both male this will be considered a yaoi, but nothing to explicit until later on through the story :)**

**Reviews and constructive criticism would be wonderful, but any flames shall be fed to Natsu as I don't particularly tolerate it in any shape or form. I understand I'm not the best writer, but I try :) I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it and remember to review :D **

**I also apologise for any OOC's that pop up :c**

***IMPORTANT*: This story take's place after the Fantasia Festival arc, before the Oracion Seis arc and has spoilers up to about the Grand Magic Games (With hints of certain character's identities from chapter four onwards). There will also be graphically described gore later on through the story also, so if this isn't your cup of tea I suggest you proceed with caution. Read at your own risk. Slight AU also.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or Gajeel probably would have wound up killing some people in the anime/manga :3**

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Flying as a dragon slayer.

Was it even possible? Sure he could use his flames as jets to get a speed boost, but without something - or so he discovered the hard way - to stabilize himself during the periods when he _was_ airborne, he either span out of control or shot off in the opposite direction. Wings maybe? Happy flew around with them effortlessly and was able to duck and weave while carrying him. Natsu crossed his arms and slumped over the bar at the Fairy Tail guild hall, thinking about flying actually made his head hurt. The resulting sigh attracted the attention of the current bartender Mirajane.

"What's wrong Natsu?" she hollered, busy moving a heavy barrel full of iron pieces within reach of the other resident dragon slayer. Natsu watched them both from the corner of his eyes and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched Gajeel heft half his body over the bench itself to grab a handful, eyes wide and a wild grin on his face. What did iron taste like? He rolled his eyes and shook his head a little; did he want to get sick again? Eating some of that lacrima was bad enough

"Just thinking is all..." he trailed off, a bark of laughter was heard from what he assumed to be Gray in the background shouting _'Natsu thinks?' _He surprisingly resisted the extreme urge to whip around and shoot a volley of fire in his direction and instead scowled at the various bottles of liquor opposite him instead. He wasn't in the mood to put up with the strippers bullshit. The sound of an iron can connecting with a skull was heard, along with a very manly squeal and Gajeel snarling at a certain ice wizard from his position further down the bar. The Salamander chuckled.

"Natsu?" He looked up from his slumped over position to see the bright smile of none other than Mirajane herself, a bowl of northern vodka in her arms. Natsu grinned and leaned back as she placed it in front of him, he wasted no time lighting it. The resulting flare up made Mirajane jump and Natsu actually _giggle_.

"Fucking pyro..." Gajeel grunted, crunching down on his small hoard of iron. This fire was the best tasting fire or so Natsu claimed. It burned off all the alcohol and left a rich sharp biting flavor that most natural fire and magical fire lacked - this was a rare treat Mirajane pulled out for him when she felt he needed it. And something told her today was a day he needed comforting the most. After guzzling down the golden flames, he let it stew for a little while, watching the small blue embers dance on the surface of the pungent liquid.

"Mira" he murmured finally, still watching the wild fire while she cleaned out a glass with a cloth "I'm a dragon slayer, I can do most things dragons can - I can even get fire dragon scales now like Gajeel can get iron scales!" Perking up at his name, said iron dragon slayer chose then to tune into the conversation with his keen hearing. "But why can't I fly?"

Mirajane hummed thoughtfully and turned to place the glass on a rack, she shot a look down the bar to Gajeel who was watching Natsu out of the corner of his eyes - still grazing on his iron. Turning back to the Salamander she shrugged and leaned against the bench.

"I'm not too sure Natsu, have you tried?" he nodded and sparked up the fire in the bowl again. Mirajane jumped for the second time.

"Well yeah, but it's like I need something to guide me, or err... support me in the air? - like Happy's wings!" he grinned then, and Gajeel snorted getting both their attention as he slid off the barstool fluidly, walking towards them with a raised studded eyebrow.

"Not _like_ your cat's wings moron - you need wings. Period." Natsu shifted his bowl of fire a little to the right as Gajeel moved to sit on his left with a mocking grin. He curled lips back over teeth in response, whether in annoyance or protecting his 'food' he wasn't sure.

"I'm not a moron you walking pin-cusion! It's not like you can fly either!" Mirajane took a step back when Natsu chose then to gorge on the vibrant fire. The iron dragon slayer bristled at the insult.

"Pin-cusion? Fuck you man, I'm not stupid enough to try to fly! Iron is pretty heavy ya know!" he barked back with teeth bared. Natsu scowled.

"Does Metaliwhata-"

"Metali_cana_" he corrected sharply. Natsu waved his hand dismissively.

"Yeah whatever, does Metalicana have wings?" Gajeel frowned at this.

"...Yes? What of it?" He had no idea where the idiot was going with this, so he turned to him, resting his elbow on the bar and his cheek on his open palm. Natsu smirked and pushed the bowl of now burnt off alcohol further down the wooden bar and away from him. Mirajane quickly scooped it up to dispose of it.

"Then who's to say it isn't possible? Dragon slayers were initially used _and_ taught to deal with dragon's right? If dragons could fly, wouldn't the slayers have to as well to keep up with them?" Gajeel blinked in surprise; that was actually a fairly valid argument. He went to open his mouth to say something when Gray chose then to cut into the conversation.

"Well even if that _is_ possible Natsu how are _you_ going to pull it off?" he had clearly been eavesdropping along with half the guild, curious as to why the two dragon slayers - who never got along - weren't at the other's throat. The Salamander shot a withering look at the ice wizard.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean you fucking popsicle? You wanna go?!" Gray sneered and kicked back his chair as he strode towards them. He jabbed Natsu in the chest and the other visibly tensed, teeth bared and flames starting to crackle out of his clenched fist. He had a healthy dose of fire coursing through his veins and was pumped for a fight.

"Well you can only control and create_ raw_ fire; Gajeel here can modify his whole damn body into his element if he wanted to! So if I'm thinking right this guy could probably make a set of iron wings" He shot a look to the stunned iron dragon slayer as if seeking acknowledgement. He nodded slowly; Gray backed off and motioned towards the bristled Salamander.

"What?" snapped the edgy pinkette.

"Well" Gray started, crossing his arms. Where'd his shirt go all of a sudden? "How are you going to go about it?" Natsu frowned, he had a point. Looking over at Gajeel he could see the him chewing on what Gray had said thoughtfully, could it work for him even though iron was so heavy?

"Natsu!" he whipped his head in the direction of Lucy's familiar voice. "Don't you get motion sick anyway? How the hell are you going to be able to fly?" Happy was perched on her shoulder and smiled at him cheerily.

"Aye!" he yipped. The Salamander's stomach lurched at the thought, face going pale; Happy wasn't transport so he could deal with him flying him around, but would he be counted as transport if he... Natsu covered his mouth when he felt bile rise up his throat at the thought. The ice mage next to him slapped a hand to his forehead with a sigh.

"Five Jewel said he completely forgot about that"

"Like hell I'm taking a bet where it's that obvious Gray!" barked Macao from across the guild hall with a laugh, Wakaba agreeing with a nod. Why the hell was everyone so against him? The bile that was previously rising up his throat vanished and instead he could feel the familiar sensation of his flames licking up his oesophagus. He couldn't stop it and found he didn't want to, with a loud roar he expelled the building flames and shot an intense jet of fire across the room in frustration, making half the guild have to dive to avoid being hit. Gray glared up at him from the spot on the floor where he had jumped to avoid third degree burns.

"The hell is your problem you pink haired idiot?!" smoke billowed from his half open mouth as he pulled his lips back over sharp teeth. Still seething, he shot a glare at Gray that could rival Erza's any day, the ice mage freezing under the intense gaze with wide eyes.

"Screw you guys, I'm going to fly with motion sickness or _not_" storming out, a trail of fire was left in his wake as he kicked the door open and left the guild hall. Juvia was quick to send bolts of water out to extinguish the blazing trail, while the rest of the guild stared in shock at the splintered wooden door that was still smoking from the blazing kick. Gray scowled and stood up, brushing himself off.

"Put some pants on you man whore" grumbled Gajeel, scratching a pattern into the bar with a sharp claw and pretending nothing happened. Gray yelped when he looked down to confirm he had indeed stripped his green cargo pants. A bundle of cloth was thrown at him from Erza, who had just descended down the stairs with a handful of new rewards posters to tack up.

"What happened down here?" she demanded while Gray busied himself pulling on the spare black jeans that were tossed at him.

"Natsu happened" answered Gajeel, still scratching a pattern in the wood. Erza walked over briskly and unceremoniously threw Gray across the room to avoid walking around him. Motioning to Mirajane she passed the posters to her to be put up later on in the afternoon. Her shadow now obscuring his engraving, Gajeel turned his gaze to her narrowed brown eyes.

"Explain" the coldness in her voice made the iron dragon tense and bristle at the obvious hostility towards him. The rest of the guild watched warily, knowing both wizards were capable of playing demolition squad if they got pissed enough.

"It's been eight years, as of today" he ground out through clenched teeth, turning back to his engraving and scratching at it again. Gray, still recovering from being thrown across the room at mach one, stumbled from a now splintered table and shook himself out of his daze.

"Eight years since what?" he slurred, vision still shifting and rolling. Juvia ran over with a surprised gasp and helped support the dazed ice wizard until he got his bearings, a pink tinge dusting her cheeks when he leaned against her. Gajeel snorted at the sight, engraving completely forgotten.

"Eight years ago since my dragon Metalicana and Natsu's adoptive father Igneel abandoned us both" The room went quiet. Mirajane awkwardly slid a pint of bourbon towards the iron dragon slayer through the stunned silence, who gladly took it with what could almost be considered an appreciative nod. Erza was the first to speak.

"I see. I overheard mentions of flying. Does that have anything to do with it?" Gajeel shrugged, gulping down the pint in record time. Slamming it down on the bar he waved away Mirajane, not wanting any more.

"Could do" he grumbled, jumping off the stool he was seated on and only just realizing Natsu's jet of fire from beforehand had completely incinerated the front of his jacket. He scowled. "What an asshole! This was my favorite one too!" Lucy had now appeared from her hiding spot behind a flipped table doubling as a barricade, Happy on her head with wide eyes.

"But what has today got to do with Natsu wanting to fly?" Gray nodded in agreement and steadied himself against Juvia, it didn't make any sense. Gajeel busied himself by ripping the rest of the ruined jacket off and tossing it behind the bar with a scowl.

"Well" he grumbled, brushing his hands off on his pants "it could be because even while I was in the Phantom Lord guild we had both scoured the entirety of the western country separately, and the only place we haven't looked is up" to emphasize his point his flicked his hand upwards. "Most dragons can fly, and they can fly for a long time... can't really blame him for wanting to try" Erza hummed thoughtfully and nodded towards the door.

"Then you will go get him and you will both learn how to fly" Lucy and half the guild gaped at the statement, she made it sound like it could be done within the hour! Gajeel howled with laughter

"Cool story, needs more dragons" he paused, a wicked grin spreading across his face "oh wait..." bounding from the requipped blade that slashed where he was moments ago, he strode towards the door with a cackle. "Give me two weeks, I'll see what we can do... if not we may be longer". When Gajeel had long left the line of sight of everyone in the guild hall murmurs began arising over the doubts it was even possible.

"Quiet!" barked Erza "if they put their minds to it I'm sure they'll be able to accomplish it, in the mean time I expect the rest of you to pick up their slack" Gray then chose the most unwise moment to snicker and attracted the attention of the red haired requip wizard. "What's so amusing, _Gray_?"

"Well..." he began warily, moving from Juvia's side and plopping down on a seat next to Makao with a bemused smile "by that do you mean jobs? Or destroying the place?" she narrowed her eyes causing him to gulp audibly.

"Job's of course, and because of that remark_ any_ jewels earned, I expect one quarter of it is to be divided evenly into Gajeel's and Natsu's banks" shouts of bewilderment and the occasional obscenity was thrown around towards Gray at the statement. The ice wizard had to duck to avoid a thrown knife. A vein popped in Erza's forehead.

"_QUIET!_ Now listen! You can either all do as I say or end up served as sushi at dinner when I get back!" she snarled. The room went deathly silent and murmurs of apologies were cast around, Erza moved to the jobs board and plucked an S classed mission from it and departed through the demolished front door. "If I come back and find even _one_ job left on that board, you will regret the day you were brought kicking and screaming into this world" Everyone gulped.

She wasn't joking.

Whilst everyone bull rushed to the job's board, Gray had managed to slip out of the tsunami of bodies and over to where Gajeel was seated at the bar, curious as to what the iron dragon had scratched into the oak; the engraving in the wood made his eyes widen. Talons and what looked like fire were visible, the maw of the beast immaculately detailed for an engraving done with just a claw.

"A dragon..?" he whispered. No, not just an ordinary dragon - a fire dragon .

This was a carving of Igneel

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**A/N: So what do you think? Continue? :)**

**RnR pl0x :o**


	2. Thrill of the Hunt

**A/N: Two things I should mention before the start of this chapter, the first being this is slightly AU. Gajeel is still Gajeel we know and think is awesome with his badassery, (or is that just me?) but in saying that the Phantom Lord guild were a legitimate guild that took on jobs that involved a precise skillset to dispose of people. To put it bluntly, Gajeel has killed, will kill (not saying in this chapter, though there could be a death, who knows? may have to read to find out!) and enjoys it immensely.**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, because if I did Zeref would be one sick bastard and would do some pretty nasty stuff to Natsu (and not in the perverted way!)**

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**Chapter 2 - Thrill of the Hunt**

Wherever Natsu had ran off to, it wasn't all that hard for Gajeel to follow - for now anyway. The little Salamander had bolted out pretty fast and the scent was alight with anger as the iron dragon tracked it. Darting his tongue out quickly to taste the air he scowled, he could have left Magnolia by now for all he knew; and really he couldn't blame him - the roads were packed. It was a Saturday afternoon and the markets were going on throughout every street, causing a clogging in the normally flowing walkways – much to the annoyance of a certain iron dragon slayer. If he wasn't fast he could lose Natsu's fading scent trail amidst the crowds of people bartering for better prices of fruit, veg and various meats alike.

"Screw this" he grumbled, leaping atop a stall fluidly and ignoring the cries of surprise as he vaulted to the roof top of a low building. Curses were flying towards him from a few high strung shoppers below and the withering glare he shot in their general direction silenced them altogether, he didn't have time to pound idiots into the ground! Inhaling once more, he found the scent was becoming more and more jumbled between the crowds of different people, scowling he went with his gut and bounded off in the direction he thought right.

It wasn't long until he had come to the edge of the city and the start of the forest that surrounded Magnolia; the scent was becoming clearer and more defined as he left mass of shoppers behind. He was on the right track and it seemed his gut was right. Bounding from rooftop to rooftop he dropped a good twenty feet, landing heavily on the cobblestone road, darting between the shocked few that dotted the street and started towards the forest tree line. Gajeel smirked mischievously; did Natsu seriously think he could shake off another dragon slayer? The very one that sniffed his way through thousands of people like a blood hound to find Heartfelia? A girl he barely knew the scent of?

He did _not_ like being underestimated.

It was hard tracking him; he'd have to admit Natsu could give himself a run for his money if they ever had an actual competitive 'game' of hide and seek – money would be involved of course, and a brutal thrashing. A wicked grin spread across his face, oh how he loved that game. If you found someone, they had no choice but to submit and receive a vicious beating for being so easily found. It was probably one of the few violent games from the Phantom Lord guild he genuinely enjoyed.

And it was because of Gajeel's keen nose that no one participated when he was involved; even the element four avoided it. Should he have a one-sided game? He loved a good competition, and having the opportunity to thrash Natsu was too much of a good thing to pass up! He slowed to a walk and took in a slow breath, tasting and separating each and every scent until he fixated on the familiar Salamander's.

"Game's on_ Natsu_" he murmured, scratching his bare chest with his claws. He blinked and looked down; that's right, the pink haired brat incinerated his favorite jacket! Gajeel scowled and rolled the piercing below his bottom lip between his teeth in thought. All the more reason to rip that idiot's throat out! A maniacal grin crept across his features as he picked up his pace and dutifully followed Erza's orders. Oh yes he would _find _him, of that much he was certain.

It had only been ten odd minutes if that at all, and he was certainly getting close. So close he could taste the salty sweat that would be rolling down the nape of his neck and the residual ash his fire magic left behind. He didn't notice when, but he had dropped down into a crouch as he stalked the overwhelming scent of sharp cinnamon and subtle sulfur that had him in a predatory daze. Grinding his teeth together Gajeel swiftly scaled a tree and a deep growl rumbled through his chest – he could see the tell-tale pink hair through the branches and leaves.

Natsu.

Leaping to a nearby tree with the grace and power of a coiled mountain lion, he slid down into the thick underbrush silently. His skin was now coated in layered metallic scales that refracted the light in such a way he would have been invisible to the naked eye. Gajeel had lowered onto all fours, stalking silently behind the Salamander and relishing the cool breeze tickling beneath the scales on his back – how grateful he was to be downwind for the moment. It wasn't long and he was parallel with the fire wizard, scarlet slitted eyes glinting dangerously in the shadows – he had lost himself in the thrill of the hunt.

The Salamander let out a surprised yelp.

He had tripped over a raised tree root.

Gajeel tensed and chose then to strike.

With a wild roar he burst from the undergrowth and barely got to witness the look of shock that etched into the other's face, and trace of fear that sparked in his eyes. He had spear tackled the other off the worn path to Mt. Hakobe and through the downhill underbrush, snapping and clawing at the other who fought back just as fiercely. His back collided with the ground and knocked the breath clean out of him, giving Natsu the chance to bound away to a safe distance; ignoring the blood dripping down into his right eye from a cut he gained from a well timed slash, courtesy of the iron dragon slayer.

"The fuck Gajeel?! What the hell is your problem?" he snapped, fire crackling around his now clenched fists as the illusion of invisibility was lost due to numerous scratches in the metal. Gajeel wheezed as he rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself up into a shaky crouch. Cautious coal eyes met with wild scarlet as the iron dragon slayer snarled, Natsu knew then he was in for a fight. He barely had time to side step when Gajeel's dove towards him at break neck speed, claws flashing as they connected with the Salamander's side and sliced the taut muscle there like a hot knife through butter. Letting out a yelp he vaulted away whilst clutching his mangled side. Blood sprayed from the wound, and he looked up to see to his terror – Gajeel cleaning the coppery red liquid that splashed across his claws and knuckles with a sharp tongue.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he breathed with eyes wide. A rumbling purr was his only response, backing up and consequentially tripping backwards he found himself pinned in an instant. He was fast, faster that Natsu thought was humanly possible - even for a dragon slayer. He froze when he felt that same tongue he saw before slide up the side of his face, cleaning up the trail of blood that had seeped through the cut on his forehead. The jagged scales on his palms biting more wounds to the skin on his wrists, he forced himself not to make a sound or wince when he felt Gajeel's sharp canines bite down savagely on his shoulder, rending and ripping at the muscle there and causing an abrupt pain to sear through his veins. Was that what if felt like to get burned?

Natsu screwed his eyes shut and let the fire he held close to heart engulf him in white-hot flames, causing the other to jump away with an angry snarl. He stumbled to his feet, and shot a cool glare at the iron dragon slayer with the bloodied maw. Gajeel remained crouched and the places where the fire had licked at had left the metallic scales white hot and smoldering, he prowled on all fours and circled the now fired up Salamander.

Natsu was quick to work and shot out a jet of flame _'fire dragons, roar!'_ that the iron dragon was able to dodge with a fluid leap. Wheeling around he dove again, teeth flashing as he let out a deafening snarl. Natsu was ready this time. Pivoting as Gajeel went in for the kill, he brought up a fire cloaked leg _'fire dragons, talon!' _to knee him sharply in the stomach, knocking the wind clean out of the other and super-heating the iron scales that covered his belly. Staggering and clutching his smoldering stomach with one arm he glared at the other; it was short lived though as a fist connected with his chin in a jaw-jarring attack _'fire dragons, iron fist!' _that sent him careening away from Natsu and hitting the ground with a dull thud. A broken snarl worked up from the iron dragon, his body twisting as he moved into a taut crouch.

"Gajeel" the Salamander murmured, the soft tone causing a pause in the iron dragon's movements "what the hell is wrong with you? I've never seen you like this" with his body still coated in flames the iron dragon slayer dared not move too close with his still white hot scales, but instead raised his eyes to meet the others. Mutual understanding seemed to pass through to Natsu as he dissipated his fire, striding towards the other and wobbling as he went, clutching his torn bleeding side. Lowering on his haunches before the bloodied iron dragon, he locked eyes with him again. The wild scarlet had simmered down to a conceding vermillion. They stayed like that for a while, until Gajeel shook his head with a pained groan and his iron scales vanished like mist. The fire dragon let out a sympathetic lopsided smile, watching as Gajeel lowered down to sit cross legged.

"Fuck sakes" the other grumbled, eyeing his still bloodied claws uncertainly "I do enjoy a good game of hide and seek..." Natsu fell back off his haunches and sat in the same position in front of the dazed iron dragon, who was now massaging his temples with a frown. Far out he had one hell of a headache.

"What the hell kind of hide and seek do you enjoy? The one where you try to kill people?" he blurted out with an amused smile, the serious look he got next drained all humor from him and caused him to go a little pale.

"I think it's _fun_" Gajeel paused thoughtfully "and was a _great_ initiation game into the Phantom Lord guild" a bloodthirsty smile etched into his face, pink tongue darting out to lick his lips of the residual copper-tasting liquid. "Why do you think we were the top guild for so long? I killed off any wizards I deemed not worthy enough, people that ran at the sight of me, and idiots that begged for me to not break them anymore than I did" he trailed off into a small hollow laugh. Natsu wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"They were your guild mates! How could you-" Gajeel shot him a dark look that silenced him instantaneously much to his surprise; it was like he choked on his words.

"Don't mistake what I said moron, I said it was an_ initiation_" Natsu frowned, the other rolled his scarlet eyes in response "in other words the few – _if any at all_ – that managed to either miraculously evade me for the half hour they had, or didn't get ripped apart..." he waved a hand in a small dismissing way, eyeing the gaping wound in Natsu's side and his torn shoulder. He was fairly certain he was the reason the Salamander had blood everywhere.

"They got into the guild...?" he breathed out, eyes wide. Gajeel went silent and instead rubbed his sore chin, the other took that as a yes. The Phantom Lord guild's reputation certainly preceded it, what a ruthless initiation they had. Natsu went to move only to have his side snap back in response making him yelp, Gajeel frowned. That gaping wound was too deep to heal alone, but shallow enough to not cause any serious damage aside scarring. It seemed the Salamander had also come to the same conclusion and he looked at the wound ruefully.

"Well... you can say you took on a dragon and won" Gajeel trailed off, not missing the stumped look he got in response. The Iron dragon had just admitted defeat? "Good enough reason for that scar-to-be right?" the maniacal grin he got from Gajeel very nearly made the fire dragon want to punch it off his face.

"Screw you" he bit out, a frown working into his features as he tried to think of a way to seal the bloodied wound. Cauterizing was out of the question due to his natural resistance to fire, so sewing shut would be the best option. Problem was he didn't have any supplies with him, nor did he know how to sew. He gazed at the preoccupied Iron dragon that was picking dried blood out from under each claw. Considering the guy had no jacket on – wait wasn't he the one that turned it to ash? – And was just clothed in his loose clinging pants, boots and a belt, he didn't think the other would have anything to help, nor know how to sew.

"What's eating at ya?" Natsu snapped out of his musings only just realizing he had been staring at the other and got caught in doing so. His flustered coal coloured eyes averted from the iron dragon quickly and he motioned to his side with a huff, wasn't it obvious?

"I wouldn't say eating at me, but it fucking hurts..." he muttered. After a few moments of silence Natsu looked up to see Gajeel plucking a single thread of hair from his head, and running his fingers down the length of the strand with a concentrating frown. The Salamander gaped when the iron dragon flicked it out and it had become a fine heavy duty thread with an iron tip. Gajeel chose then to look at him cautiously.

"You tell no one of this" he hissed, crawling towards Natsu he pulled the shocked teen onto his lap and unceremoniously flipped him on his stomach so the wound was facing him. Gajeel paused then and placed the needle between sharp teeth, prodding the edge of the gaping wound much to the Salamander's discomfort.

"The fuck are you doing?!" Natsu barked, shooting a withering glare at the iron dragon who remained unfazed. The fire dragon yelped when Gajeel opted to rip at his black and gold threaded over jacket, using it to wipe away the obscuring blood that had made it hard to discern where to start.

"hold still, or it's going to hurt more than it needs to" he paused and caught Natsu's worried gaze with his own annoyed one, with a reluctant sigh he put his right arm out in front of him "bite down if you need to" he nodded slowly and Gajeel went to work sewing up the wound with his left hand deftly. The resounding hiss that escaped through clenched teeth was enough warning that it did indeed hurt, the other smirked.

It wasn't long before he felt sharp canines digging into his arm around one of his piercings mercilessly as he continued sewing the wound shut. Gajeel let out a harsh sigh, the pink haired fucker's bites hurt more than he anticipated! Leaning down to snap the thread with his sharp teeth, Natsu then let go and huffed in exhaustion. Gajeel didn't waste any time pushing the other roughly off his lap and stood, glowering at him with crossed arms and ignoring the blood trail dripping off his right elbow.

"Next time make sure you don't get all pissy just because your dragon left and we won't have to do this again" Natsu gaped at him from his spot in the dirt.

"_ME?!_ You were the one who tried to fucking kill-"

"Are you dead?" The Salamander hesitated "No? Then what's the fucking problem?" Gajeel snarled. Natsu glared at him from his spot on the ground and the iron dragon returned it with his own.

"Why'd you come after me anyway? It's not like I asked you to" He snapped suddenly. Gajeel snorted at waved a hand.

"Erza" the one word reply was enough for the Salamander to utter a single subdued 'oh' in response. Even Gajeel was wary of the woman, he had discovered firsthand how violent and insanely dangerous she could be if defied. The awkward silence that followed was thick, until Natsu chose to clear his throat.

"So ah... will this be ok?" he gingerly touched the area around the torn muscle on his shoulder. Gajeel flickered his gaze to it and hummed in thought, before taking a look at his now bleeding arm. His own didn't look to bad, but Natsu's shoulder was a whole other story. It looked like he had clamped down and shook his head like a pitbull! A wiry smile etched into the iron dragon's features.

"It looks bad... but it should be fine for now" he muttered, eyeing the path through the trees Natsu was previously traveling before he was ambushed. "Where were you heading? Haokbe?" The Salamander who had been staring off into space, jumped a little at being addressed.

"Y-yeah"

"Why?"

"...well its high up isn't it? Good place to learn to fly right?"

"What do you plan on doing? Jumping off the fricken mountain peak and hoping wings sprout from your back?" Natsu gawked

"I didn't say that jackass!"

"But you were thinking it weren't you?" Gajeel slapped a hand to his forehead "it's the end of Autumn you idiot it's going to be blizzards and sub-zero temperatures from now on until Spring, don't you ever fucking think?"

"I'm a Salamander, the cold doesn't bother me so why should I care!" Gajeel bristled and scowled at the fire dragon slayer who was attempting to stand shakily.

"Because it affects me idiot, I'm an _iron _dragon slayer? You know – _metal_?" he snapped, ignoring the bemused look the pink haired teen shot towards him "Erza made me come out here until we can _both_ fly, so you aren't shaking me off that easily." He growled, finally diverting his eyes to the dull throbbing in his arm from the bite wound.

"Well like I care what you do, I'm going to Hakobe!" Gajeel lifted his arm before him and eyed the bite mark surreptitiously.

"I wouldn't do that alone _idiot_, fire dragon slayer or not you'd find a way to either get killed by vulcans or freeze to death somehow... seriously you fucking piss me off, you think you're the _only _one that's hurting over our dragons just _disappearing_?" Natsu who had shakily started towards the trail snapped his head back to look at Gajeel dumbfounded, who had his arms crossed again.

"I...What..?" the iron dragon scowled at the dirt and marched past the Salamander briskly.

"Never mind, you coming or not?" he barked back over his shoulder, blood still dripping from his right arm. The other shook off his surprise and slowly climbed up the same path Gajeel took to the crest of the hill, using the surrounding trees as support. He eventually caught up to the other who had slowed to a casual walk and asked what he meant by the statement about hurting over the absence of their dragons.

He was Ignored.

They both walked in silence with Natsu shooting an occasional worried glance at the other's torn arm that was still oozing blood after twenty minutes of walking uphill.

"Gajeel-"

"My arm's fine, stop worrying about me" the other bit out through clenched teeth to stop the chattering, it had started to grow colder as they slowly ascended the base of the mountain and the other had already begun wavering in his pace – they hadn't even left the forest yet! Natsu pouted at the response and instead prodded his shoulder gingerly, finding it had long since stopped bleeding and now had a bloodied scab on it – he once again eyed the other's still bleeding arm anxiously. Was it his pride that refused help? Or was he just being a stubborn jackass?

"Gajeel, listen-"

"Don't. Care." He snapped, the steely glare sent in his direction silencing him. He had also noticed the other had begun to shiver the higher they climbed. Before long, soft flakes of snow were drifting down upon the duo, though Natsu was perfectly at home here with the cotton-like snow melting upon contact – Gajeel seemed to be having trouble; slowing down in his pace and teeth chattering violently. The higher they climbed the worse the other got and a knot of worry twisted in the Salamander's stomach, the snow was getting deeper and he had actually spotted ice collecting in Gajeel's onyx hair. He was still having trouble deciding whether it was his pride or stubbornness that refused help – he was willing to bet both.

To top it off there was a trail of red behind them from Natsu's bite on the iron dragon.

"Look, Gajeel-"

"_I told you I don't_-"

"_CARE!_ I know! I got it!" Natsu yelled, eyes blazing "But I do asshole! You're freezing your ass off and it's been what - three hours and a bit now? And that bite I gave you it _still_ fucking bleeding!" the stunned look he got in response was more than enough acknowledgement that he was indeed some-what right. Ignoring the barks of protest, he dragged the other through the three inch snow and marched towards a cave he knew was around here. It was the very same cave he along with Lucy and Happy had rescued Makao from the vulcan body possession spell. Forcing Gajeel to sit down and wait – much to the other's reluctance – he ventured back outside to find something flammable to start a fire with.

He had only been gone about ten minutes and had discovered it was futile to look for firewood or any fast burning shrubbery so high up, he could barely see as the sun had begun to set on the opposite side of the mountain and shrouded Natsu in darkness. He peered precariously over an iced over cliff, he could see trees alright – a good thousand feet below him. With a frustrated sigh he grabbed his scarf and whipped it around his face catching black and gold thread in the process. With a raised eyebrow he smiled lightly at the torn over jacket he was wearing, leave it to Gajeel to destroy one of his favorite clothing items.

He started back to the cave and abandoned the hope to find anything remotely flammable, it was too cold – or so he was told – up this high for anything to grow. He could try to run back down the mountain and back up with firewood? Natsu shook the thought out of his head the moment it arrived, that could take an hour or longer depending on weather.

He didn't think Gajeel would be able to hold out in the sub-zero temperatures that long.

"Flying would be extremely nice right now" he grumbled, kicking a rock as he started up the path to the entrance. Though he didn't have firewood he did remember Lucy mentioning he had an abnormally high body temperate, so much so that even Gray's ice cold skin hissed at the contact like water in a hot pan,; maybe he could... nah.

With a heavy sigh Natsu reentered the cave to find the iron dragon – quite literally – licking his wounds. His tongue was scraping shakily over the raised bite mark that was now no longer bleeding, the Salamander hadn't even noticed he was smiling until Gajeel looked up from his work and asked him what he _was_ smiling at. Truth be told – not even he himself knew. He sat down next to the shivering iron dragon that turned away from him with a grunt. Hesitantly, he went to test his theory and gingerly placed the palm of his hand against Gajeel's muscled back; the reaction was instant and made him jump reflexively.

"H-holy shit you're hot!" he barked, leaping away and turning to him with wide scarlet eyes. Natsu smiled at the innuendo he caught.

"Aren't I?" the wolfish grin he gave was smacked off in seconds by block of ice connecting with his skull.

"Not like that i-idiot, it's fucking c-cold and your b-body t-t-temperature is through the r-roof" he bit out through chattering teeth. The metaphorical light bulb appeared over Natsu's head as his eyes lit up with the very idea he had outside the cave, the iron dragon knew that look too well and knew it led to nothing smart. He was pinned in seconds, a playful smile on the Salamanders lips while he moved both his legs either side of Gajeel's thighs, straddling him and straining his stitches, causing him to wince lightly afterwards. The iron dragon was about to rip into him about their position, when he pressed his stupidly hot –temperature wise of course – body against his, taking the train of thought with it. Natsu was the closest thing to a heater he could get on this barren frozen mountain, as much as he hated to admit it.

He could feel the warmth that was leeched from him slowly returning to his body, and the fingers he feared would eventually fall off from frostbite were tingling against Natsu's heated body. He didn't bother questioning when they moved to the Salamander's sides, his right hand prodding his stitching handiwork to entice a hiss out of the other. A small smirk crept across his face.

"Don't. Move." Gajeel murmured, now wrapping his arms around the other and nuzzling into the wounded shoulder, his numb face having blood return to it from the other's searing body heat. Natsu with nowhere else to go buried his head into the iron dragon's chest, completely oblivious to the cuddling he was doing.

"So uh, when can I go?" he mumbled from his position.

"You can't" snapped Gajeel "I'm fucking cold and you're like a heater. You started it so you're staying here" Natsu laughed softly and chose to rest his hands on the iron dragon slayers wide shoulders.

"Well it _was_ getting dark out there anyway, so we're staying here for the night?" he got a grunt in response, the other lifting the Salamander's left hand off his shoulder and pressing it to his ice cold cheek "Now can I-"

"No" Before Natsu even had the chance to open his mouth in response, Gajeel had rolled over onto his side and took the Salamander with him. He released his hold on the toasty dragon slayer who hesitated and looked up from the other's chest – their noses touching briefly before the iron dragon pulled back sharply – he had said no but gave him the option? It was weird and very unlike him. Natsu – mind made up – instead rolled over so his back was pressing against the other's chest and let out a 'manly' (Elfman was rubbing off on him...) squeak when he felt a pair of strong yet cautious arms wrap around his middle, the iron dragon breathing softly into his ear and an approving purr escaping his lips.

Silence reigned between them and it was only when Gajeel started snoring softly that Natsu chuckled and made himself comfy in the iron dragon's vice grip. He wriggled lightly and rest his head on his arm, eyeing the small wounds on his wrist from the other's previously scaled hands. He didn't know when – and he found he didn't particularly care – but he found himself pressing closer against Gajeel as he dozed off into a dreamless sleep, a smile on his face.

* * *

_**A/N:**__Yay cuddles! and probably the only fluff for a long while... unless you count Gajeel's pervertedness :o _

_RnR guys ^^ ta _


	3. Cleaning up and seeing stars

**A/N: Here's chappie 3 :) Still posting this through using my phone's internet crap though -_-' apologies for any spelling errors and/or grammatical errors also. The move was fine, got my black cat back yesterday... she was surprisingly chill having been flown to another country and being stuck in quarantine for over 10 days.. love her :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail, or I'd probably end up making Cobra and Gajeel pair up as a duo of slayers!**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Cleaning up and seeing stars**

Gray glowered at the jobs board, all the good ones were gone and Mira couldn't tack anymore up until later on in the day according to guild rules. With an annoyed sigh he chose instead to sit in the back corner of the mostly empty guild hall and wait; Erza was true to her word and came back late in the evening the day the two dragon slayers departed, and the first thing she did was inspect the jobs board. Gray had watched her from his kicked back position with a quirked eyebrow, the guild hall was barren of anyone except himself, Lucy, Juvia and Mirajane that night – even Cana and _Nab_ had taken a job fearing not even they could escape the wrath of Erza Scarlet.

When everyone got back with their pays at the small unreasonable hours of the morning, Mira was the one who divided it up between the duo of absent dragon slayers – at a rather reasonable time of six o'clock in the morning. The ice mage snorted.

Flying?

It wasn't even possible and he didn't know why Erza had been so persistent in sending Gajeel off after the hot-headed Salamander. Natsu was an idiot most the time, he got motion sick at even the thought of a moving vehicle _and_ was a persistent thorn in Gray's side – constantly challenging the other to fights and taking his boxers to piss him off – but he was beginning to get worried about the wellbeing of the other. And it was all due to the unease he had around the tall, dark and very intimidating Gajeel Redfox.

Before the iron dragon slayer had joined Fairy Tail – albeit reluctantly – everyone had heard rumors of him and his sadistic ways. He was the physical wall and tank of Phantom Lord Guild above the element four, he was responsible for any new recruits and more often than not killed them off before they had even gained the signature tattoo; and it was because of that he was one step shy of being called a cold blooded murderer.

His eyes screwed shut; not to mention when that bastard Jose sent the iron dragon out to play that fateful day...

He had destroyed the entire guild hall within seconds, whoever was inside during the dark hours of the early morning either wound up severely injured or worse, later that very same day during dusk, he also attacked Jet, Droy and Levy in a brutal thrashing that left the two men near dead and Levy emotionally unstable and silent for weeks after. It just didn't sit right with Gray – Natsu being alone with someone that vicious and cruel; what if something bad happened and he wound up dead? He could never forgive himself for not acting on his unease. He was pretty sure the Salamander would kick his ass from where ever he was if he even _thought _of checking on him; he didn't care much for the fire drooling idiot but he wasn't about to let him be killed by a walking trash can with a horrendous track record.

Mirajane, who was scribbling furiously on some paperwork Makarov had left behind last night, looked up when she felt Gray's unease tickle her sixth sense. The ice mage was chewing on his bottom lip uncertainly and had his hands interlocked under his chin, his eyes unseeingly staring at the wooden table he was seated at.

"You seem a bit down Gray" He hummed in acknowledgement but otherwise ignored her, much to the take-over wizard's surprise. It was then Erza – ever the early riser – chose to cruise through the doors into the large room with her signature suit of Heart Kreuz armour on, quickly noting the rather depressed demeanor hovering around the ice mage. Looking over at Mira who shrugged with a bemused look on her face, Erza chose instead to march over and lower herself onto a seat opposite him, Gray straightening up like a plank of wood when he recognized her presence.

"Gray, is there something the matter?" she said with a lowered voice – so not as to attract the she-devil's attention – and watched his face for any minute form of change. A multitude of expressions danced across his face in half a second; fear, paranoia, worry...

Was that because of the hard stare she was giving him? After several moments of silence she narrowed her eyes and the other tensed in response, a cold sweat breaking out. Perhaps she should try to make him more comfortable? With a mental nod of approval, a gold light engulfed her much to Gray's surprise and left her with red hair pulled back into a high pony tail and her bangs dropping in front of her face loosely; her armour had been swapped out for a black bikini that left little to the imagination. Gray's face lit up in a vivid hue of red and he gaped at her, what the crap?

"Erza, why the h-hell did you r-requip into...?" he couldn't even finish his sentence and began mumbling incoherent rabble with eyes the size of dinner plates, a small smile played on the scarlet haired mage's face and she interlocked her fingers under her chin.

"To make you more comfortable of course" The black haired mage simply looked at her blankly; white noise was the only thing present in his mind as he took what Erza said in, it wasn't helping she was showing her curves so blatantly! He did find the woman attractive, he wasn't going to deny it but it was extremely hard to think when the only thing he could stare at was her rather large breasts that were barely covered and flaunted before him. On the bright side, Erza was one mage Juvia couldn't threaten with the wrath of doom; it wouldn't stop her trying if she saw his face burning up like it was, though. He gulped audibly and swiftly averted his gaze when a rush of heat washed over him.

Wait.

Was she referring to his habit of...

He frowned lightly

"So... you changed into a bikini because I have a bad habit of... Ah" he cleared his throat awkwardly and turned back to her with a still pink face "stripping – and you thought it would make me feel more... _comfortable?"_ he asked curiously. The curt nod he got in response only caused him to slam his face on the table before him with a sigh and Erza lean over to smack him upside the head in response. Letting out a pained whine, he pulled back and rubbed the sore spot on the back of his skull with a small pout.

"Gray, tell me what's going on now" The sharpness of her voice made him hesitate and pause in the soothing he was tending to on the back on his head. The requip wizard noticed the fraction of a second and it only caused more confusion when he stood abruptly – shirt vanishing into thin air as it does – and started for the front door. He shouldn't be surprised Erza had no idea the effect she was having on him dressed like that; she could be as dense as_ Natsu_ at times.

"I'm gonna go out and check something, don't worry about me kay?" he didn't even wait for a reply when he departed, a gold light illuminating the room when the bikini-clad mage requipped back into her Heart Kreuz armour. Erza bit her bottom lip in worry and decided to instead walk over to Mirajane, whose eyes were watching Gray's disappearing back curiously.

"He'll be fine" the requip mage assured, flattening her gauntlets on the bar and eyeing a scratching in the oak suspiciously, recalling the iron dragon slayer that was sitting in the very same spot yesterday, as she was now "is this from Gajeel?" she questioned, already knowing the answer. The intricate carving was then covered by a plate with a slice of strawberry shortcake sitting upon it. Mira smiled lightly and handed her a fork to go with it.

"It's a bit too early for it in my opinion, but I'm sure you couldn't care less" a warm smile spread across her face and Erza returned it, taking the utensil and turning to cast one last look at the door Gray had departed out of. She knew the ice mage had more than enough skill to take on anyone that threatened him easily, but she couldn't help but worry about him. Mirajane smiled softly at her previous rival and shifted the plate to uncover the carving.

"Gajeel's fairly talented, wouldn't you agree?" Erza moved the plate closer towards her and returned her attention to the carving, running a finger over the lines. It was extremely detailed all the way down to the scales that arched over its talons; the thickness of the lines varied throughout the carving making it leap out of the wood, Erza wouldn't have been all that shocked if it came to life that very moment. Fire billowed from its maw in streams and she could have sworn she saw one of the deep set eyes move to watch her. Erza blinked in surprise and turned her attention to her shortcake instead.

She hoped Gray would be ok, and she prayed Natsu and Gajeel wouldn't kill each other wherever they were.

* * *

Natsu sneezed violently.

"Oi, sneeze any harder and that tiny brain inside your head might fall out shit-fire" the heated glare shot in his general direction enticed a snicker, he couldn't see the iron dragon through the tree line but he could smell him on the wind blowing down from the mountain. He threw the last of his clothes onto the sand with a scowl.

"Bite me you scrap heap" he barked back. It was only early in the morning but when the iron dragon woke up, he had thrown the fire dragon he was using as a heater – whom was sound asleep mind you in the other's crushing grip – across the cave with a growl. He was not cuddly, and he was not _to_ be cuddled.

Natsu seemed to make him defy both in one night, much to his annoyance.

Though the second he heard the other hit the wall with a dull thud and yelp awake, he regretted it. Not because he feared he hurt him – why the hell would he care? (The stitching was a completely different matter, he was pretty sure Erza would rip his dick off if he came back with his corpse).

But because he was cold again.

To the point he was shivering a mere twenty seconds after he threw him. It was getting fucking ridiculous. With an angry sigh he stood and started to the entrance of the cave.

"I'm going out to get something to burn, since you decided to be a useless sack of shit _and not get anything last night_" he muttered bitterly, well aware the other's sharp hearing heard him. Just as he was leaving a ball of flame engulfed him from behind and he snarled in surprise, whipping around to see a still rather drowsy-yet-pissed looking Salamander with a hand lit up like a torch.

"You jackass, I came back because the closest thing to burn up here was a good hour walk! Like hell I was leaving you shivering to death up here!" he snapped, coal eyes smoldering angrily. Gajeel snorted and raised a bolted eyebrow, a sneer on his face.

"Why the hell do you care _Salamander_? Was your entire plan to come up and _cuddle_ me to keep me warm?" he drawled "pink haired faggot" scarlet eyes flashing hints of ruby just as furiously. A tick of anger twitched in the fire dragon's forehead.

"Scrap-for-brains!"

"Asswipe!"

"Fucking pin cushion!"

"Walking match stick!"

"Porcupine!" The shit-eating grin Gajeel wore should have warned him he had something up his sleeve, but he ignored it.

"Orphan" he purred back, the grin growing more malicious when Natsu's eyes widened to the size of dishes. "You never really knew your true parents did you?" he continued, noting the dark look the other was getting quite quickly. It only added fuel to the fire "Igneel took pity on you, don't you think it's strange how he just happened to show up and find you? I'm willing to bet he turned your real _human_ parents to nothing but ash"

He laughed humorlessly and sidestepped when Natsu dove at him silently, fire coating his whole body as he shook with rage. Well, he was awake now it seemed.

"Take. That. _Back_" he growled eyes still downcast. Gajeel decided to push it and make the most of it while he could – when was the last time he and the Salamander had a serious fight anyway?

"Make me" What surprised him more was the speed, he didn't expect it from someone who had woken up no less than five minutes ago, but when a dragon-fire cloaked fist connected with his abdomen he didn't even bat an eyelid. The flames whipping and crackling around him didn't intimidate him in the slightest, so with iron scales rippling just beneath the surface of his skin he leaned into the flames and growled darkly into his ear and a smirk curling the corners of his lips up. Natsu in a fit of anger shoved the other away and stormed off outside the cave, leaving a highly amused iron dragon in his wake.

Mission accomplished, the scales just beneath his skin absorbed the heat from the fire and left him toasty warm. Pity no fight resulted from it.

For now anyway.

And that's how they both ended up where they were currently, at a lake on the opposite face of Mt. Hakobe. It hadn't taken Gajeel all that long to catch up with the fuming spitfire and he certainly didn't expect his scent trail to lead to a clear lake of all things. Swatting offending branches out of his way with a scowl, he came to the sandy edge of the mass of water; his eyes nearly popping out of his head at the sight.

More at the fact the motion-sick-prone Natsu could _swim_. Who knew?

He had already discerned the other wasn't exactly wearing anything under the small ripples of water around him – and he shouldn't be surprised – but what made him all the more curious was the steam coiling around his body above the water. His body heat must be pretty damn high if he was turning the cold water around him to steam.

"Oi Salamander!" the heated glare shot in his direction didn't even make him falter "the fuck you doing? You want to learn to fly or not?" The fire dragon ignored him and sunk under the water. Gajeel watched with amusement, he couldn't see where he was swimming exactly, but he could see the trail of bubbles from the boiling water he was producing. When Natsu resurfaced further out with a scowl shot in his general direction, he couldn't help but snicker under his breath. He looked like a drowned rat.

"Why the hell would I want to go with you asshole?" Gajeel maneuvered towards the pile of clothes thrown haphazardly across the sandy beach and picked up a bloodied piece of clothing, wrinkling his nose. He had forgotten Natsu had blood everywhere from when he was jumped yesterday, not that he himself fared any better. He could feel the Salamander's black eyes upon his back and he chose to drop the piece of cloth back onto the ground with a sigh.

"Because idiot, I'd rather not be put six feet under by that insane red head you call a _friend_" he snapped back turning to glare at the drenched pinkette who was casually treading water and gazing coolly at him through the wall of steam "Where the hell did you learn to swim anyway?" Natsu's glare subsided quickly at the question and was replaced by a grin, the bubbling water simmering down.

"Igneel!" Gajeel crossed his arms and raised a bolted eyebrow in confusion. Of course it was his dragon – _it always was_ – but...

"How exactly does a _fire_ dragon teach you how to swim in water...?" Natsu rolled his eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Who said it was water?" if the iron dragon slayer wasn't confused before, he sure as hell was now. What else could he possibly swim in that wasn't water? Natsu seemed to guess his confusion and smiled smugly. Gajeel in the mean time was racking his brain for anything that Igneel could teach his student – or son as Natsu claimed – to swim in. He didn't know when he sat cross legged on the beach in thought, but he had and wound up with one hell of a headache in the process. With a sigh of defeat he looked up to find the fire dragon slayer closer to the beach than he was before, the water now just below his navel and rippling against his body.

"Tch, fine I give. What did he teach you to swim in Salamander?" Natsu grinned mischievously

"Lava of course!"

Wait.

What?

Gajeel was pretty sure his jaw needed to be surgically reattached due to hitting the ground so hard. What the hell kind of person would be _sane_ enough to jump into lava in the first place?! Natsu snickered at the look the iron dragon was producing; it was a mix of shock, more shock and outright horror.

"H-how the hell is that even possible?! I know you can eat fire, and you don't exactly burn yourself, but swimming in lava..? seem's a bit.." he paused and looked for the right word.

"Impossible?"

"Not the word I was looking for but it works..."

"Farfetched?"

"That's a lil' more fitting..." Gajeel hummed in thought, leaning back on his palms. He didn't even think it was possible, and it wasn't like he could just go to some random volcano and _throw_ the Salamander in it to try it out – the closest one was halfway across Fiore. Lost in his thoughts, the iron dragon hadn't noticed Natsu had left the water without a care in the world, until he yanked at the white – or more accurately brown and red – pants he had been sitting on.

Gajeel wasn't entirely sure whether he regretted turning to yell at him, and that's what bothered him.

Let's just say he got an eyeful.

To the face.

The pink haired fire mage was about to snap at the iron dragon to haul ass, when he did it of his own accord; leaping away at least five feet into the air as if the piece of clothing was toxic. Natsu was either extremely oblivious or just an idiot, the frown the etched into the Salamander's face made Gajeel consider both equally. What was worse was that he could feel his face burning up, he didn't blush god damn it!

"What the fuck are you doing you fire drooling asshat! Put some fucking clothes on!" The Salamander did the complete opposite, choosing instead to cross his arms and scowl. He slapped a gloved hand to his forehead and covered his eyes in the process; did no one teach this boy etiquette? He shuddered to think whether he did this around bunny girl or Erza, he chanced a glance between his fingers at the fire dragon that was now pulling on his dirtied pants; problem was the cloth was clinging to him like a second skin from the water and the iron dragon slayer could see _everything._

"Oi, oi! Scrap heap! You ok? Your face is all red" Gajeel – realizing his mistake of unknowingly staring – spluttered and turned on his heel, crossing his arms and snorting indignantly.

"I'm fine you drowned rat!" he snapped back over his shoulder sharply.

Of three thing's Gajeel was very much certain about the bold, pink haired, fire breathing, infuriating, _annoying_ – weren't infuriating and annoying the same thing? He couldn't find the heart to care at the moment – fire dragon slayer.

Number one: Erza hadn't castrated him, so he was fairly sure he didn't act like this around her or bunny girl.

Number two: The easiest hair to spot in a crowd was most definitely natural; carpets matched the drapes after all.

And thirdly: he was – even though he was sure he didn't know it himself – well endowed downstairs.

He felt a hand on his back and recognized the heat from it immediately, what he didn't expect was being unceremoniously pushed into the shallows of the lake. Bounding out of the water faster that Natsu thought possible, Gajeel back peddled until he was at the tree line and chose to sit there with wide and almost – the closest that he'd seen on the iron dragon– terrified eyes.

"You sure you're ok metal head? You look funny..." he trailed off crossing his arms again and shaking his hair of some of the water. Gajeel snapped out of his daze and curled his lips back into a sneer at the Salamander.

"None of your business!" Natsu bared teeth in response and a deep growl worked up from his chest.

"Kinda is considering you said you wanted to come with me!"

"I never – what the fuck man! I didn't say I wanted to you fire breathing retard! It was either that or I'm pretty damn sure Erza would have snapped my leg or something!" he barked back

"Erza wouldn't do that!"

"Wanna make a bet Salamander?"

"Fine!"

"Holy shit you're dense..." Gajeel slapped a hand to his forehead again "You and the walking freezer fight constantly, who's the one that makes you both stop in half a second _and_ shit your pants at the same time eh?"

Natsu opened his mouth to shout back when his words caught in his throat. He had a point; Erza could probably take Mirajane's title as she-devil if she wanted to. Gajeel was grinning smugly knowing he had indeed won the argument, as petty as it was. At least that was until Natsu brought up his earlier action with suspicious narrowed eyes.

"Why'd you jump out of the water so fast anyway?" the iron dragon froze. It wasn't like he couldn't swim, he could! Just being a student of the iron dragon made it a lot harder and wound up being more of a pain in the ass than anything. He couldn't rust per se, but long periods of time in the water would make his body ache to the very bones; as if it wasn't a task enough to stay afloat being as heavy as he was, so when the Salamander threw him into the shallows he was merely caught off-guard and reacted on instinct.

"I don't like water..." he mumbled low enough for the other to hear, he knew Natsu wouldn't drop it so he figured he should tell him anyway. Unfortunately for him, it came across differently.

"What you can't swim? I knew it! Gajeel can't sw-"

"Clean out your ears Salamander, I can swim! I said I don't like water, It's just more of a fucking chore than anything" by now the dirtied loose pant's Natsu wore, had stopped clinging to questionable locations and he was able to look up to see the other raise an eyebrow.

"How so?" with a roll of his scarlet eyes he stood and swiftly clamped a hand around the other's throat, metallic scales rippling out from beneath his skin, and coating his arm with a sheen of silver. Natsu – as he expected – reacted violently, throwing punches and clawing at the metal coated arm with fiery claws and wide, fearful eyes. His grip tightened. He had wanted to do this for oh so long...

He knew he could kill this boy right now, but that wasn't at the forefront of his game plan at the very moment.

"What are these scales Salamander? What dragon did I train under hmm?" he loosened his grip enough for the other to draw in a raspy breath. He should do this more often, he loved the sound of the other struggling.

"Metalicana... the i-iron dragon" he choked out, still clawing furiously at his arm with fire evaporating along with his strength.

"Good boy" he cooed, talking to him like he was some dog "now what does iron do when it's in contact with water for too long?" he locked eyes with the fire dragons and could feel a smirk crawling across his face; he spotted traces of fear within his obsidian depths, claws still slashing uselessly at his arm.

"Rusts..." Natsu wheezed out, his right hand clamping down on Gajeel's metal scaled arm and the other reaching out to the other's face and clawing desperately. With a haughty sigh he tightened his grip again to twice of what it was previously. He could see panic spark in the fire dragon slayers eyes, and he instead clamped both hands around Gajeel's arm, ripping and clawing at the scales that were deflecting the assaults easily.

"That's correct, little Salamander" he purred. He couldn't contain it anymore, with a wide maniacal grin he pulled the other close enough to whisper into his ear "I love this, I love seeing you so fucking terrified..." he trailed off and tightened his grip even more, squeezing his windpipe closed. Natsu gasped desperately and with a dark chuckle Gajeel watched his eyes roll into the back of his head, his lips dashed a delightful blue. He wouldn't kill him, hell no, he would just terrify the other enough until he passed out from lack of oxygen; so when the fire dragon's arms fell to his side and his head lolled back, he released his grip entirely and let him crumple to the ground like paper.

Gajeel eyed the other with a small smirk; he anticipated a fight when the idiot woke up but for now he needed to clean up from yesterday, he knew he didn't exactly smell like sunshine and roses and the blood coating him could have made him look like an axe murderer to any random traveler. He snorted at the irony, having had a job in the Phantom Lord guild that requested just that.

It didn't take long to clean up, and it wasn't like there was anyone around to watch so he casually dressed himself and rung his hair out like a mop. How his onyx hair stayed soft was beyond him. He opted not to pull his boots just yet in instead picked them up between a couple gloved fingers. Gajeel – grumbling when once again he realized he didn't have his jacket– glared at the Salamander, hoping the intensity was enough to wake him up.

Sadly it wasn't.

"Fuck sakes..." he muttered, dropping his boots and pulling them on with a scowl on his face. They still needed a lot of things before they even thought of trying to fly. If Natsu insisted on staying on the god forsaken mountain, they would need firewood and _lots of it_; food enough to feed two dragon slayers and maybe one change of clothes, an image of the Salamander's earlier clingy pants popped into his head and he pushed it away the second it arrived with a sound of disgust.

No

No

_Hell freakin' no_.

With a frown he pulled a rock from his boot and flicked it towards the still passed out fire dragon slayer to clock him in the face.

"Wake up brat, we need to sort our shit before we can do anything" no response. Surely he wasn't that heavy of a sleeper? Or was he still unconscious? Were being unconscious and sleeping the same thing? He didn't know and found he didn't particularly care. About to rip off a boot and hurl it at the other's skull, he froze at the smell that washed over him in a cool breeze from the mountain. He vaguely remembered the scent that was permeating through the trees, and even so he found himself by the Salamander's unconsciously body in a fraction of a second. Gajeel bristled and pulled teeth back over canines in a ferocious snarl. When the mystery man emerged from between the trees with a half amused smile, the iron dragon found himself stepping before Natsu in an attempt to defend him if the other tried anything funny.

"What do you want?" he barked

"_Relax_... Gajeel was it? I just came over because I could smell you both and got curious"

"Is it a fight you want then?" he bit out, scales beneath his skin itching to come out. The other mage noted his tension and smiled wryly.

"Normally I'd take you up on that offer, but no I don't" sharp blue eyes chose instead to look over the lake "you chose a nice spot to train, Natsu pass out then?" Gajeel hesitated; the other mage noticed this and let a small frown grace his features.

"You could... say that..." Gajeel muttered, looking back at the Salamander behind him warily, only to turn back and have the other wizard within five feet. Jumping slightly at his proximity, the other smirked at his reaction and put a hand forward.

"I don't think we were ever properly introduced to each other... I'm Laxus, Laxus Dreyar."

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**A/N: AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FO DAT! Seriously though, weren't expecting that were you?**

**RnR gaiz :)**


	4. Cold iron and frozen blood

**A/N: I'm sorry gaiz D: I know I haven't updated in a while, and that's partly due to my internet and mainly due to my computer having a brain fart and wiping the hard drive (NUUUUU MY MUSSSICCCC! D:) so here's the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it :) While I'm at it, I'm going to go back and edit chapters 1-3, fixing typo's and grammatical errors people were kind enough to PM me :)**

**As always, please RnR. It's nice being told whether the story I'm writing is good or not, whether there's typo's ect :)**

**In saying that this story is about to take a very dark turn, read at your own risk.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail... or I wouldn't be ending the damn show! :c**

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**Chapter 4 - Cold iron and frozen blood**

He wasn't going to deny it, he loved hunting – or more specifically – stalking his prey. Even though it was just a mere animal, he still found delight and fulfillment in tracking it; he enjoyed letting his primal, dragon-like persona run the show every once in a while. Problem was, the last time he did – unintentionally – he was sure he could have killed the Salamander if he didn't snap out of it. he could hear all the small animal's fleeing him, smell them on the wind as the larger ones bounded away loudly to his sharp hearing, and the forest went unearthly quiet as the birds kept to themselves when he stalked past.

Though he had cleaned up earlier, the scent of blood still caking his boots and loose clinging pants was driving most of the animals away in fear; but he was faster and he knew he was more than capable of catching any mindless beast. Speaking of mindless beasts, an image of the once battle-crazed lightning mage filled his mind. Laxus – or Sparky as he was now nicknamed, much to his disdain – had taken Natsu to a healing mage. Gajeel paused in his movements, recalling the events that happened between himself and the dangerous exile not even an hour ago.

_He took the lightning mages hand – albeit hesitantly – and gave it a firm shake, wary scarlet eyes straying from Laxus' bleak, vacant blue-grey for a but a moment to stare where they were connected. What he didn't expect was the others grip to tighten around his gloved hand, small bolts of lightning dancing from the blonde mage and through his highly conductive skin. It burned slightly, making his hair stand on end and leaving him feeling unnaturally cold – something told him Laxus was _not _happy. He looked back into his eyes and very nearly flinched – a storm of barely contained anger was rolling in them ominously. _

_"What happened to Natsu?" he said quietly, dangerously. Gajeel's eye's narrowed slightly, he knew the other could kill him if his answer wasn't to his liking, but he wasn't about to be weak in front of the lightning mage after their fight no less than a month ago. _

_His pride wouldn't allow that._

_"How is that any of your business?" he spat, ignoring the thunder booming overhead in response – the blonde mage's magic permeating the air and coalescing the scattered white clouds together "Not like you cared about anyone in Fairy Tail before, _right_?" Laxus' eyes narrowed at the remark and the sky darkened; once white clouds swirling overhead and turning a nasty shade of black and purple, white and gold flashes of lightning illuminating the already intimidating blonde mage. Gajeel's grip on the other's hand tightened reflexively – god he hated being conductive._

_"Don't assume..." he said silkily, voice smoothing over the hint of malice that hid under the surface. Laxus leaned forward, face inches from the iron dragon's and his face darkened considerably "let me see him" he murmured, finally releasing his grip on the other's hand, sidestepping the red eyed man and not bothering to wait for a yes or no. Gajeel swiftly intercepted him with lips pulled back into a snarl, fierce enough to make Laxus almost flinch – _almost_. Lightning flashed erratically overhead and the iron scales that had leapt from beneath his skin out of reflex, refracted the resulting flashes of light into a myriad of glittering gold and silver orbs._

"You stay the hell away from him, bastard_" He spat, hackles raised. Laxus paused, thunder still booming overhead and chose to watch the dancing light's the other's scales created over the body of water 'fairies...' he thought, a ghost of a smile twitching at his lips. Gajeel watched the blonde mage avidly, Laxus' shadowed eyes staring mutely at the lights dancing over the surface of the still lake from the slayers polished, gleaming scales; The lightning mages next movement was so fast, that his scarlet eyes barely registered when the blonde's head snapped to the side sharply, cool eyes gazing at the unconscious pinkette behind him. Gajeel's muscles tensed for an attack – anyone who could move that fast was a force to be reckoned with. _

_Thankfully it never came. _

_Laxus was silent for a while after that and the iron dragon had a bad gut feeling he was doing a checkup on Natsu from his position held up by a literal wall – a knot of anxiety churned in his stomach and made him feel ill. He knew he was in for it when the lightning mage's pupils to narrowed down to slits and his nostril's to flared in anger, now gunmetal grey eyes locking sharply with his own in a maelstrom of fury that could rival Metalicana._

Shit.

_A bolt of lightning struck the lake and sent water flying miles into the sky from the impact, showering the trio with a barrage of droplets. Gajeel flinched at the feeling of his scales fluctuating uncomfortably to rid themselves of the detested liquid._

_"What the hell did you do to him?" Laxus hissed, lightning rippling around his body and flicking up his furred coat with raw unrefined magic. He could actually _see _the other's magical pressure, his overly sensitive eyesight far above that of an ordinary human – the air itself was vibrating violently under the sudden immense outburst of crude electrical energy. Gajeel remained firm in his position; barely hesitating he followed the other's glaring eyes to the fire mage. What he saw next, was something he couldn't have ever prepared for. _

_His irises shifted to a diluted ruby in shock, the layered scales on his body took upon the appearance of thousands of small silver bugs as they all moved of their own accord displaying his discomfort, and he vaguely registered his onyx hair bristling into a mane of steel needles. All the while, the pink haired fire mage remained still and blissfully unaware in the depths of unconsciousness._

_Translucent slightly silver scales covered the quickly healing scab; the skin beneath and around the bite wound he had inflicted, had turned a speckled grey – dimly reflecting the light from Laxus' lightning as if it were unpolished metal. Gajeel's jaw dropped and he turned on his heel to stare at the 'infected' wound. How had he not noticed this before? Quietly, he was thankful for the scales that adorned his skin, hiding the creeping blush he could feel burning his face up beneath at the self questioning. _

_It was pretty hard to notice anything at all with other things in your face distracting you... _

_Shaking his head – to rid the thoughts and subsequent blush (he didn't blush god damn it!) – he screwed his eyes shut, the mane of onyx needles reverting back to hair and he thought over the possibilities. He had seen both what anaemia and iron poisoning could do to a person if not treated fast, but this was neither – although the metallic shine the patch of Natsu's skin had, caused him to think it was some form of poisoning either way._

_But most definitely not iron, not _his_ iron anyway._

_"What the hell..?" he breathed, face contorting into confusion. Being able to harden his skin often made Gajeel the epitome of unreadable, he could keep his face blank while the gears in his mind turned things over – yet even under the protection of his scales, his face betrayed that very notion leaving him looking hopelessly puzzled._

_"I figured you would know, considering it looks like you did it" Laxus said bitterly, silently manoeuvring to stand next to the iron dragon and Natsu. It was then he noticed other injuries, black stitches were sewn into his sides, sealing a grisly wound and a nasty gash on his forehead remained visible underneath pink locks of hair. Blonde eyebrows knotted together in question. Gajeel snapping him out of his musings with a hesitant scaled, gloved hand on his shoulder – now that the other thought about it, he was probably paranoid about being shocked._

_"Sparky?" Laxus' eyebrow twitched at the new nickname and his jaw tightened. He moved his gaze to Gajeel's puzzled scarlet eyes._

_"Don't look at me like that, I don't know what it is!" he snarled, standing upright and glaring down at the scaled iron dragon. Gajeel wisely pressed his mouth into a thin, disapproving line to prevent any sharp comebacks to the riled lightning mage; it wasn't like he could win in a fight against him alone. The iron dragon shot up into a half crouch and barely noted the growl rumbling in his chest when Laxus bent down to scoop the unconscious fire mage in his arms, frowning at the scaled wound present on his shoulder._

_"Oi" he snapped out, successfully drawing his attention for a moment "the hell are you doing Sparky?! Put him-"_

_"Down?" he finished, a small smirk curling his lips up "and what? You're going to stop me, eh lightning rod?" _

_"The hell kind of nickname is lightning rod, fucking idiot!"_

_"I could say the same about Sparky" he retorted, already retreating back the way he came with Natsu in his arms "if you intend to stay out here I recommend going to get some food before all the larger animals leave for the day" Gajeel spluttered_

_"_You son of a_-"_

_"relaaax" he cooed, shifting to throw Natsu over his shoulder and wave a hand dismissively "I'm going to take him to a healer to see what she thinks" The cold look Laxus sent over his shoulder made him freeze "let's hope it's not _too_ serious hmm?"_

_And with that he had vanished in a flash of lightning, leaving a very confused and tense iron dragon slayer in his wake. It took all of five minutes for the clouds overhead to disperse again, Gajeel staring out at the scorched patch of earth where Laxus had left. No matter how far back he reached into his time with his dragon, nothing came forward that could explain the Salamander's odd circumstance. _

_"Bookworm would know..." he grumbled softly, scales retreating beneath his skin of their own accord. He was about to leave when a flash of white in the corner of his eyes caught his attention. It was the Salamander's scarf. A wiry smile worked onto Gajeel's face when he picked up the surprisingly soft leathery material, he had seen this kind of leather before, hidden beneath Metalicana's iron plates._

_Dragon-belly scales._

Leaves rustled to his side and he tensed, snapping his head to the sound and tuning out of his musings – what foolish animal wasn't running from him? A cool breeze drifted towards him and a sly smirk crept across his face, so the wind had changed and it couldn't smell him eh? Gajeel raised his nose and inhaled sharply; the scent of a large buck was thick on it. He dropped low and inched quietly towards the smell that wafted towards him head on, peering through the shrubbery he was hidden behind he found the animal grazing quietly, completely oblivious to its fate. A sly grin crept across his face and he gently tugged at the dragon-belly scarf tied through a belt loop on his pants to make sure he wouldn't lose it.

"Gehee..."

Unlike when he jumped the Salamander, he was sure he would kill this time.

It was a blur from the second he moved, to the moment the animal lifted its head; he leapt out with a wild laugh, catching the stunned animal in a fraction of a second and pulling it into a taut headlock, an arm anchored behind its velvety antlers. The buck's cries were muted when Gajeel clamped his jaws around its throat like a lion, blood spraying on his face as it continued to struggle futilely. Its thrashing grew less powerful and he could hear it choking – _drowning_ in its own blood, convulsing repeatedly in a desperate attempt to get oxygen into its flooded lungs.

A shudder of glee danced up his spine and pumped adrenaline through his veins when he dropped it to the forest floor, grinning down at the still carcass. Oh how he missed killing as predatorily as this – even if it was just an animal. So what if Salamander's scarf got a bit of blood on it? He'd live. Licking his lips of the red, coppery blood that had erupted from the animal's furred throat, he growled softly, scales appearing in a thin sheen of silver. Gajeel's eyes glazed over as he stared down at the corpse, lips curling over sharp teeth in a cruel grin.

Anything still within the vicinity was suddenly at risk of being ripped apart by the feral, bloodthirsty slayer.

* * *

Laxus watched with mild curiosity as Porlyusica muddled around with different coloured vials and herbs, healing mages were rare, and their recipes for such healing were often taken to the grave. He was seated in the furthest corner of the room – orders of the human-hating mage – next to the bed Natsu was _still_ passed out on. He had long since come to the conclusion that they had fought, the now purple bruises blooming on the Salamander's throat proved that, but was the injury to his side from the iron dragon slayer also? Don't even get him started on his shoulder; Porlyusica's jaw had actually dropped when she laid eyes on the injury – that alone was enough to know it wasn't good.

He sighed and folded his arms, he hated this place.

It smelled funky...

Laxus had spent more than enough time in this forsaken tree-home, the pink haired healer called... well, _home_. When Lissana had been killed, Mirajane had spiralled into a pit of depression that actually _worried_ the lightning mage to a certain degree. He had brought her here on regular trips to keep the dangerous satan soul and the subsequent darkness magic she used, in check while she came to terms with her loss, all the while complaining about how _she_ kept cutting into his job time. A sad smile crossed his face, he found it hard to believe he could've been such an asshole... why the hell didn't he come back to help when Phantom Lord decided to attack the guild?

Pride and blind arrogance...

Natsu stirred from beneath the sheets with a breathy moan and Porlyusica turned her sharp gaze towards him with a frown, Laxus watched her quietly, noting the distant look in her eyes and gazed out the window above the bed instead.

"I was never one to care much for humans..." she turned on her heel, churning a vial of purple liquid she held daintily with a flick of her wrist, turning it a deep orange red. "But _true_ dragon slayers are quite different, they can hardly be considered the same species" she focused her critical gaze on the blonde lightning mage for a moment, and her frown ceased.

"I'm not technically a true dragon slayer if that's what that look is for" he muttered eyes gazing at her and lips curling back over small fangs "I wasn't taught by any _lightning_ or _thunder _dragon..." he sneered, Porlyusica snorted and her frown returned, walking towards the groaning Salamander in the bed.

"I'm well aware of that boy; your father is the one to blame for that..."she muttered, propping Natsu's head back and tipping the vial of foul smelling liquid down his throat. After a moment's hesitation, she sighed softly: "There is no thunder dragon" Laxus who had been thinking mutely about his father, halted the train of thought abruptly and turned his questioning gaze to her back.

"What?" Natsu coughed violently and curled into a ball on his side, trying to stop the tremors that wracked through his body after gulping down the bitter potion forced down his throat. Porlyusica's mouth turned downwards disapprovingly at the unvoiced question, but answered none the less.

"Lightning and thunder are one in the same thing, very much like flames produce heat, thunder follows lightning. There is only a lightning dragon" Laxus stared at her in bewilderment, How could she even know that?

"How-" she cut him off with a raised hand.

"None of your business how I know that" despite the remark, she turned her cold red eyes to him "though I will say there is more than one dragon that inhabits Earth-land to this day" with his eyebrow's shooting into his hairline Laxus' jaw dropped; dragons were wiped out were they not?

Natsu howled in pain drawing both their attention, Porlyusica sighing and motioning for the lightning mage to help. Laxus frowned when he stood by her, he could actually _see_ the stitching on his side snapping as the wound healed, scales on his shoulder flaking off like dead skin.

"What the f-"

"Refrain from that language in my home_ boy_" she snapped, sharp eyes glaring holes into him "use your lightning to dull his pain receptors" she ordered, the blonde mage scowled at her

"Why the hell couldn't you just mix a pain killer in with that crap?" he growled, Natsu's screaming and thrashing becoming more violent. Porlyusica's glare hardened, but she remained silent. With a haughty sigh he flicked out small bolts of electricity from the tips of his fingers, the Salamander's body tensing at the sudden intrusion of foreign magic. After a moment his eyes shot open and he slammed his back into the window, cracking the glass with wide terrified eyes. Laxus tensed at the sight, the healer rolling her eyes and starting back to her potions. Natsu sent paranoid glances around the room, body shaking like a leaf. What the hell had him so worked up?

"Relax short ass, you look like you're about to shit yourself" He hissed eventually. It was only then the Salamander realized Laxus was in the same room, wearing a rather bored expression.

"Don't tell me what to do you lightning freak!" he spat, eyes narrowing. "The fuck you doing here anyw-"

An empty glass vial connected with his forehead with enough force to send him through the window, Porlyusica scowled at the scattered glass and withdrew her hand back, noting the fire mage had leapt right back inside and was rubbing the sore spot daintily.

"Watch your mouth" she snapped "he's the one who brought you here"

"Brought me where?" he demanded, Porlyusica ignored the question and remained silent, turning back to her potions and plucking a leaf from a nearby plant. The silence that filled the room was thick, and Laxus found himself wandering the room eyeing the different books and scrolls curiously. He could feel Natsu's eyes trained on him, and it wasn't like he cared; but in saying that, could he ask Porlyusica about her knowledge of the dragons, or the lightning dragon with him awake?

"I know what you're thinking Dreyar..." She said quietly, peering at him from the corner of her eyes "He isn't of this world anymore, the only remnants of that dragon is in that Lacrima of yours" as suspected, Natsu perked up at the word _'dragon'_ and turned his wide-eyed gaze to the healing mage.

"You know a dragon?!" he near squealed, a grin splitting his face "whe-"

"No, I don't know where your dragon is _boy_" Laxus snickered quietly at how quickly he deflated after that statement. Natsu opened his mouth to snap back but was cut off when Laxus silenced him with a cool impassive look, clearly saying _'don't push it'_. It went silent again after that, until the Salamander realised his scarf was missing. With panicky eyes he scoured the room and leapt off the bed he was crouched upon. Porlyusica certainly didn't appreciate a fervent dragon slayer rummaging around her house and threw a second vial at him that knocked him clean off his feet. Laxus cocked an eyebrow at the sight but otherwise said nothing.

"What the hell was that for, you stupid old bat?" He snarled while rubbing the spot on his forehead. The healing mage's eyes narrowed at the remark and she turned back to her potions, pointing to the door.

"Out. The both of you" She hissed. The lightning mage sighed, heading to the door and pausing at the threshold to find the Salamander looking around the room, overly paranoid. He rolled his blue eyes.

"Gajeel probably has it" Laxus murmured. Well that wasn't entirely truthful – he didn't know. "Your scarf that is" Natsu did a double take and gaped at him with his face draining of colour after recalling the events between himself and the unpredictable slayer.

"G...Gajeel?"He croaked out, with wide eyes. "No... No, no, no..."Without another word he had leapt out of the shattered window and vanished into the forest surrounding Porlyusica's home. Laxus raised an eyebrow at his response and exited the tree house in a far more normal manner – the door.

"Thanks, old lady... appreciate it" he got a grunt in response and something that sounded like _'get out of my home'_. Walking down the path that led out of Porlyusica's little grove, he frowned at the scent of blood that permeated the air. Though it was only animal blood, the choking smell was suffocating and enough to make him wrinkle his nose. He couldn't smell Natsu through the stench either and that worried him a little – since when the hell had he become such a softie?

"I blame Fried..." he grumbled to himself, sniffing the air for the panicked scent of the Salamander. Though he wasn't a _true_ dragon slayer, his nose was certainly not something to laugh at. With a growl in the back of his throat he left the worn path and rounded to the side of the house with the window Natsu had leapt out of. He could smell him, and it was easier to latch onto the fresh trail through the reeking scent of blood.

He followed it quietly, silently and with utmost precaution. With the Salamander's reaction when he mentioned the iron dragon slayer _may_ have his scarf, he had every right to be; why was he so panicky? A low pained groan reached his ears and he strained to hear where it came from. Laxus froze when the sound repeated, and the smell that wafted towards him from the general direction of the strained voice.

It was blood, human blood.

With a muttered curse he bounded towards the pained moaning, abandoning the scent of the Salamander and bursting into a clearing not moments later. He froze at the sight. The trees, the grass, and even the very air seemed frozen; ice encased the grove like living crystal that refused to melt, the bitter cold and misty fog going unnoticed when his eyes locked onto the still body of a gravely wounded man.

But not just any man, this was Gray Fullbuster. Laxus felt the blood draining from his face at the sight.

He had large, deep slashes across his chest and a particularly grisly wound on his abdomen that flashed off the fleshy pink of his entrails, it looked like a sharp blade had peeled back the skin on his stomach and the raw flesh was ripped from him in one swift, jagged move. The thin sheen orange-white, natural fat that would cover the taut muscle of his abdomen was visible and looked like it had been ripped at, tearing it and the thick muscles beneath. It was a miracle his stomach wasn't ruptured in the attack, spilling the acidic liquid into the animalistic injuries.

What worried Laxus the most wasn't his wounds, it was the sheer amount of blood that surrounded him; it was a lake of crimson and he was sure that boy was going to die if he wasn't fast. A lead weight dropped into the pit of his stomach and he ran over to him, kneeling down next to the glassy-eyed mage with shallow breathing and gripped his shoulders in such a way he was surprised the other didn't wince in pain.

"Oi oi! Gray, who the fuck did this to you?" Cloudy eyes struggled to focus onto the lightning mage and blood bubbled from his lips as he struggled to form words. The murmured phrase was incoherent and he strained his ears, leaning closer so his ear was next to his mouth. His eyes widened in disbelief at his next words, a cold shiver dancing up his spine. And not because of what the dying ice mage had said.

Standing he whirled on the spot, lightning magic crackling around him and coming face to face with a pair of glowing gold eyes peering out from the shadows of the forest, a large, thick tail curling around it's hidden form. A deep growl made the air vibrate and Laxus' hair stand on end, with a glance at the fading ice mage he winced visibly; fight and risk him dying, or pick him up and run risk getting attacked.

"Get him out of here!" the lightning mage did a double take back to the shadowed beast in the forest, seeing a bloodied, scaled dragon slayer standing between him and the monster. How had he not heard him? Gajeel's cold red eyes locked with Laxus' for a moment when he glared at him over his shoulder, pulling his lips back over sharp teeth "**_GO!_**" he barked, leaping into the occupied shadows and vanishing from sight with a feral snarl, Natsu's scarf still tied to his belt loop and fluttering in the wind.

Laxus didn't need to be told twice, and he scooped the gravely injured ice mage into his arms and bolted back to Porlyusica's home. He could hear the sound of the iron dragon slayer fighting, the beast that was cloaked in shadow letting out an ear splitting roar loud enough to make the trees bend.

"Don't die on me idiot..." he whispered, ignoring the blood soaking through his royal purple shirt. Whether he meant the dragon slayer holding off the monster or the dying ice mage in his arms, he wasn't sure.

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**A/N: uh oh! Gray's not looking good D: **

**RnR guys ^^ **


	5. Time to kill

**A/N: I know I know... it's been what? *counts on fingers* nearly three months? xD I've been extremely busy with studies for my Vet Nursing course and just haven't really had the time to update regularly, so I can't guarantee when the next chapter will be out... sorry bout that guys :c but hey, at least this is chapter five, right? ;)**

**Seriously though... I want to thank everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed this story thus far... you guys make writing this story all that more rewarding knowing you enjoy (hopefully o.o) what I write! I'm sorry I don't reply to your reviews... I guess I can start that up for this chapter and answer any questions you have next one if you like :o**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail, for if I did Cobra would have a major role and Sting would be a badass instead of a dickweed :L**

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**Chapter 5 - Time to kill**

It was a quiet day at Fairy Tail so far. Gajeel and Natsu were out learning the seemingly impossible task of flying, Gray had left early in the morning and no one knew to where exactly, Lucy was curled up in her bed sick according to Happy. Apparently she eaten a bad fish and now had a terrible stomach ache – he opted to stay with her to eat all the fish she had remaining in her fridge. Juvia had been slumped over a table for the majority of the day, her own mini rain cloud pouring cold water on her while she sniffled at the absence of her 'Gray-sama'; the depressing cloud alone driving other mages to tables at least twenty feet from her. Team Shadow Gear had also returned from a mission around mid-day, chatting about a bad storm on its way into the city. With the absence of the dragon slayers and the ice mage, the guild seemed eerily quiet – the excommunication of Laxus made ever more prominent through the mostly calm day.

Fried sighed sadly and turned a page in the book he was reading. It felt weird not having his self-appointed team leader there in the guild, he wasn't about to admit it out loud, but he had long since come to the conclusion his unhealthy obsession with Laxus Dreyar may have been the prequel to his attraction to him. A light pink dusted his cheeks and he frowned, finding he had read the same line three times so far; so with a roll of his eyes, he tagged the page with a rune and snapped it shut, only to find Mirajane waving at him from the bar. He felt a smile grace his face and he tucked a stray strand of grass green hair behind his ear.

She was pretty, without a doubt. Any man would be lucky to have her, it's just she wasn't exactly his type per se – that and he was sure Elfman wouldn't approve. With a glance out the nearby window he raised a delicate green eyebrow at the storm clouds a little ways off outside Magnolia. He smiled wirily, he had noticed those angry clouds earlier on in the day, well before Levy had mentioned them and thought nothing of it; but when they hadn't rolled into the city with the winds from the mountains, it had perked his interest, and only one thing came to mind.

"I was thinking the same thing, you know" He jumped at the familiar voice behind him, whipping around on the spot and blinking at the silver haired take-over mage. How could she possibly know what – _who _– he was thinking of?

"Beg your pardon, Mira?" She smiled sweetly; walking to the window he was staring out of and deftly dragging him along – his book abandoned. They both stood by the clear pane of glass, staring out at the dark clouds just south of Magnolia, it was eerie and the air itself seemingly dropped in temperature; it made the hairs on the nape of the rune mages neck stand on end uncomfortably. Fried turned his curious gaze to Mirajane – quickly retracting his hand when he realized she still held it – to find her previously happy expression replaced with one that made his blood near freeze in his veins.

"It's worrisome... isn't it?" the take-over mage said quietly. He nodded stiffly, the movement slow while he watched her face "Something isn't right..." she whispered, brilliant blue eyes narrowing ever-so slightly and her expression darkening grimly. Fried swallowed nervously, the thunder from the storm rumbling through the sky making him jumpy. Hesitantly he went to go leave her side to grab his book as a form of distraction, but she stopped him with a hand constricting around his wrist like cast iron. The storm had begun to roll into Magnolia, a sheet of white rain pattering against the windows gently.

"Juvia does not like this water, it's not natural..." the rain woman said quietly, attracting the attention of Fried and Mirajane – even Erza who had been filling out a order form for a new set of Heart Kreuz armour, turned her attention to the water mage. Juvia remained transfixed on the gentle rain now pattering the windows of the guild, her own personal cloud vanishing into nothing. She stood silently, dripping wet and as if in a trance walked towards the guild doors, the rain beginning to fall harder.

"Is there something wrong Juvia?" Erza asked quietly, folding the forms neatly and tucking them into her breastplate. Fried froze on the spot, the hairs on his arms standing on end and his body tingling; Mirajane noticed the peculiar actions of the rune mage and raised an eyebrow in question. Levy – who had her nose buried into a book, she had picked up from the Magnolia library before returning to the guild – raised her head sharply, looking around with confusion and paranoia in her eyes. A cold shiver ran down her spine and Jet looked at her with worry from his position opposite her, Droy remaining completely oblivious while eating a small meal for lunch.

"Evergreen..." Fried murmured, eyebrows knitted together as the odd feeling didn't disappear. The amber haired mage snorted from her position at the bar with a Cocktail, legs crossed and seated next to a drunken Cana. Propping her glasses further up her nose, she pursed her lips and hummed thoughtfully.

"I'm well aware..." thunder rolled overhead again, and the sky darkened considerably when lightning flashed through the inky black clouds. Erza had a feeling she could guess who was responsible for the abrupt storm, as did Mirajane but they both stayed silent on the subject; Levy was hopelessly puzzled, unsure of how to react – all the while Juvia stared blankly at the large wooden guild doors, as if anticipating something big. The soul mage appeared on the second floor and made a worried sound in the back of his throat.

"Yeah I feel it too... so do my babies" he muttered the floating wooden dolls beside him shaking like maracas _'we feel it, we feel it, he's coming, he's coming!'_ they chanted. As if on cue the double doors blast open, a wave of rain coming in with a gale of cold wind from the storm; Erza's eyes widened and Mirajane sucked in a sharp breath. Their hunch wasn't wrong, that's for sure. There before them stood Laxus Dreyar, soaked to the bone, shivering and with blood dyeing his once purple shirt an ugly brown – his charmed coat remaining dry and unused, draped over his shoulders. His hair was wild from running, eyes frantic and he drew in short breaths as he tried to replace the lost air in his lungs. Fried was the first to react and ran over to him with fearful eyes.

"L-Laxus! What happened?! Why are you covered in blood...?" he gushed, all too quickly and fretting about him, uncertain how to handle the situation. Lightning magic crackled around him making the rune mage jump back, and he shot a cold gaze to the water mage who remained unfazed through the ordeal, staring at the waterfall of bitter cold rain outside. For a moment, her deep blue eyes turned to his, and a dark look crossed her face.

"Juvia understands Laxus-san" she said quietly "the rain – your rain – tells Juvia everything" without a second word she started for the door, only to be stopped by the Laxus himself, his hand clamping down on her wrist when he flashed over to her in a bolt of gold lightning, still shaking from the cold water.

"You wouldn't want to see him right now..." he said hoarsely. Juvia looked at him with a deadpan face, the corners of her lips turning down slightly. Her body returned to water and she slipped out of his grip, starting through the guild and materializing at the threshold of the door, drops of rain splashing on her. Erza started towards Juvia but was halted by Mirajane holding her back, a knowing look on her face. She wasn't saying she was certain of what exactly was going on, but she knew full well it had something to do with Gray if she was persistent enough to brush off Laxus Dreyar of all people.

"Be careful, Juvia" she said softly, a small smile on her face. The water mage turned to her then, a blank look on her face devoid of all emotion. It was eerie, seeing her like that. But when she finally responded, Mirajane was forced to remind herself that the rain woman was only human, and extremely defensive of her love.

"Juvia will be fine... Juvia likes the rain"

And with that she was gone.

All eyes turned to Laxus then, he had moved to a table still shivering and Fried bustling around him to pull his coat on properly to at least give him some form of heat. His face was stoic, eyes glaring holes into the heavy oak. He knew he was being scrutinized, what right did he have to come back after what he did?

"Laxus!" a voice boomed, and he knew it all too well – that condescending tone that would make any disobedient child curl up into the fetal position, the scent of sandalwood and paprika invading his sensitive nose. Makarov Dreyar, guild master of Magnolia's Fairy Tail.

"Hey there..." he muttered, noting his grandfather's light steps as he dropped from the second floor and stormed over to him.

"What the hell are you doing here boy! you're-"

"Excommunicated? I know" the lightning mage snapped, teeth bared; yet still has gaze remained fixated on the wood. He could feel his grandfather's magic fluctuating at his snappy comeback and his eyes narrowed, thunder booming overhead and the rain falling harder.

"Then what the hell a-"

"Gray" he stated sharply, simply and quickly and sharply enough to stun half the room into silence. Erza frowned, sidestepping Makarov and signalling for Fried to move. And he did – though reluctant. She stared down at him critically, her chocolate eyes as dark and stormy as the tempest outside.

"What happened?" she asked coldly, eyes narrowing onto him. If he had the gall to force guild members to attack each other, it wouldn't really surprise her if he –

"He's at Porlyusica's" he said quietly, and the room went deathly quiet. Makarov stared at his grandson disbelievingly. That woman – though kind enough to act as the guild's personal doctor – hated humans as a species, despised them with all her heart, and if she was called upon for her medial prowess...

"Erza, Mirajane..." Makarov paused for a moment and narrowed his eyes at the lightning dragon slayer still dripping wet. "_Laxus_... with me!"

* * *

Gajeel roared, teeth bared and eyes wild when he struck at the massive scaled beast. It seemed his blood crazed hunting had attracted a Blizzardvern of monumental proportions down from the peak of Hakobe itself. How the hell could it even smell the blood from up there anyway? He found himself not in the mind frame to care when he leaped to the side fluidly to avoid a thick barbed tail near clubbing him to death. Skidding to a speed he was able to control, he kept on the move, leaping into the air with teeth bared and a feral snarl working up from his throat. Gajeel shot his right arm forward towards the beady eyed wyvern and cackled madly '_Iron dragon lance! Demon poles!'_

The Blizzardvern howled in pain, the screaming screech like nails on a chalk board and blood erupting from the injuries adorning its back like swiss cheese. Gajeel landed heavily, the weight of his scales and body when in dragon force highlighted by the large gouges he left in the ice-caked earth. He purred, lowering to all fours and red eyes glinting at seeing it in pain – he wasn't about to deny it; he was very much a sadist. The Wyvern struggled to compose itself, large, thick iron spears protruding through its wings and one wedged in firmly in its muscled haunches. A scent invaded his overly sensitive nose and the iron dragon slayer wrinkled his nose; sulphur and cinnamon.

"Gajeel!" both the iron dragon slayer and the wyvern turned to the voice, the aforementioned not all that surprised when a pink haired mage erupted into the clearing with a bemused look. He found he didn't have to tell him to duck when a blast of frigid air shot towards him from the maw of the scaled monster. Natsu growled in return, flames erupting from his throat in a torrent and engulfing the wyvern in white hot fire. It screeched a second time and its tail lashed out from the flames in an attempt to smash the pinkette, Gajeel intercepting the attack and taking the hit before it connected with the oblivious Salamander to busy watching the flickering fire.

"Idiot" he spat "if you're gonna get in the way, get lost!" he snarled, hooking both his scaled arms around the large barbed tail and anchoring himself into the ground with iron spikes. Natsu was stunned into silence – did Gajeel just in take a hit for him? Before he could ask what the iron dragon slayer was doing it was answered for him; the muscles beneath his scaled arms and back rippled, a feral snarl working up Gajeel's throat and scarlet eyes narrowing while he tried to push away the pain blooming in his side from the hit he took. Natsu's jaw dropped and he took a step back when the wyvern howled, its talons clawing at the now thawed, muddy ground.

Gajeel was actually going to vault that thing?!

"You're crazy..." he whispered, eyes locked onto the enormous wyvern flailing fruitlessly in a pathetic effort to remain grounded. The iron dragon's slayer's face contorted into that of annoyance and with a bellowing roar, he shifted his weight slightly to haul the beast off the ground and throw it into the thickly wooded forest behind them. Trees fell, and a broken screech echoed through the woods before it went silent. Natsu stared at the scaled beast of a man before him, he had collapsed into a half crouch and his breathing was heavy, garnet eyes glaring at the path of destruction his toss had made. Gajeel flinched visibly and slapped the Salamander's hand away when he felt it on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" he snapped, glaring red eyes locking with Natsu's coal black.

"I was just gonna ask if you were..." he trailed off, face contorting into that of annoyance. Why the hell should he care if Gajeel was ok? "Know what? Nevermind" he spat with hackles raised, equalling the iron dragon slayers hard gaze with his own. A furious roar snapped them out of their glaring contest and Gajeel moved on instinct before his jumbled mind could comprehend what he was doing, pinning the stunned Salamander to the ground beneath him in the blink of an eye. Not even a second passed before the iron dragon slayer felt the barbs of the Wyvern's tail tear into his scaled back, its wings flailing furiously as it tried to take off. He grunted in pain, wincing when he felt the unpleasant tug of scales being ripped from his spine. It screeched a second time, wings able to extend to their full size even with iron poles imbedded in them and took to the skies with two massive wing beats.

Natsu was lost for a moment, his mind nothing but white noise and his jaw dropped slightly. Gajeel just took a hit for him – _again_. Speaking of, the fire dragon turned his coal eyes to the iron dragons scrunched up face and for reasons unknown to him, he could feel heat rising to his cheeks. They were barely inches apart, and he couldn't help but find himself staring at the other slayer with a look of wonder. Gajeel felt Natsu's eyes upon him, but remained silent until he came to terms with the explosive pain radiating from his back. So they stayed like that for a small while, Natsu trying to get a grip on the odd burning sensation racing through his body, and Gajeel not willing to move until he was sure he hadn't broken a spinal disc.

"Hey..." Natsu said finally, timidly, the voice so uncharacteristic Gajeel actually cracked an eye open to look at him curiously. He didn't expect them to be so close for one – and he very nearly recoiled at that; but what stopped him was the delightful red adorning the Salamanders cheeks. Something also extremely uncharacteristic.

"Y-" He cleared his throat of the hoarseness that plagued it. "Yeah...?" he murmured, still unsure how to detangle himself from the situation – both literally and figuratively. Natsu bit his bottom lip, missing the way Gajeel followed the action subconsciously.

"Can you ahh... move?" he mumbled quietly, averting his eyes anywhere but the iron dragon slayers face. "I mean, it's making it hard for me to breathe idiot" he spat quickly in a poor attempt to recover what little pride he had left. Gajeel didn't make any attempt to move, or acknowledge that he heard Natsu's request and simply stared at him, his mind reeling with uncertainties, his heart thundering so loud that his ears were ringing. _'what the hell is wrong with me...'_ he thought, the corners of his lips curling back over sharp canines into a half sneer.

"Gajeel?" the salamander pressed, gripping the iron dragon slayers shoulders and shaking him gently. Red eyes narrowed slightly and a dark growl slipped from his lips at the forced movement.

"Don't." He bit out.

"Hey! I just want to-"

"I said _don't Salamander_. I will gut you like a damn fish if you do that again, so help me god; I think I've-" Gajeel cut off abruptly, eyes screwing shut and closing his mouth quickly with an audible snap. A jolt of pain shot up his spine; fiery, unrelenting and causing white dots to dance behind his eyelids in an erratic symphony. He couldn't tell that idiot! The bastard would be sure to make him a laughing stock!

"You're hurt, aren't you?" Natsu murmured quietly. The iron dragon slayer again cracked an eye open to look down at him, shocked at beads of blood on the slayers face, high on his cheekbones and just below his eyes – truth be told, the small rivulet carving a trail down his face, gave the illusion that the pink haired mage was crying blood. Jaw dropping; it was only then he realized his sharp canines had cut his bottom lip open when his jaw locked shut. Gajeel paid no mind to the Salamander still pinned beneath him, and gently prodded the bleeding injury with his tongue, it didn't seem too bad and at worst it would scab for a few days – a mere annoyance. What he didn't expect while quickly surveying the damage was heated hands to slip behind his head.

Natsu very nearly smirked when Gajeel froze the second his hands snaked behind his head and into his inky black hair. He could feel the other slayers magic thrumming through every strand, the hardening of the fine ebony locks so subtle he almost wouldn't have noticed it if his hands weren't so sensitive. If Gajeel could do it, why couldn't he?

"What the hell are you – _hey!_"

Natsu yanked the iron dragon slayer down towards him and ever so slightly flicked his tongue out to wipe clean the blood that had begun to trail down Gajeel's chin. The iron dragon slayer locked up, every muscle and joint in his body going rigid the second the Salamander warm tongue came into contact with the piercing on his chin. He didn't know how to react; he couldn't react _'what the actual fu...' _Gajeel shivered against his will when the pinkette's heated tongue flicked almost playfully at the piercing below his lip, lapping the blood up like a kitten with milk and a small smirk curling the corners of his lips up.

That was it.

"What the hell are you doin'?!" Gajeel snarled, garnet eyes boring holes into the oblivious Natsu's forehead. If there were any time he wished he could makes someone spontaneously combust, now was that time. The Salamanders coal black eyes turned up to Gajeel's and he cocked his head to the side in question.

"You did it to me" he stated simply. What?!

"I did no-"

"Before we got to Hakobe, when you attacked me?" He said irritably, a frown crossing his face. Gajeel mirrored the expression.

"I would know if I did Salamander" He snapped back, teeth bared and the action aggravating the already bleeding sore. Natsu blinked and remained silent, the blood from the other dripping onto his face and filling his nose with its coppery tang. They remained like that for a several moments, so close to one another they could feel each other's breath on their skin; eventually Natsu snorted.

"Clearly not dumbass..." he said quietly, pulling Gajeel back down against his will and causing the other to grunt in pain. For a second time he flicked his tongue out to clean the blood from below his lip only to pause when the iron dragon slayer growled, the sound dark and foreboding. A rough hand gripped his chin and forced him to look up into slitted garnet eyes, the intense red intimidating and dark. Mere centimetres separated them and the iron dragon slayer relished in the split moment of timidness he evoked out of the other, visible in his eyes; a bloody grin split his face in response.

"You're doing it wrong, _Salamander_..." he purred, hand tightening its vice like grip and lips smashing against Natsu's in something far more primal than a simple kiss. Against his better judgement, Natsu let out a noise reminiscent to that of a growl and pulled roughly on the elder's mane of onyx, the action alone enough to cause Gajeel's hair to bristle for a moment and prickle the Salamander's hands; taking the pained gasp he worked out of the pinkette to his advantage and forcing his tongue into his mouth. Blood, that was all he could taste, and quite frankly it was far more pleasant then he would have expected. Teeth clashed violently and they both snarled like the dragons themselves. Never before had Natsu found it as hard to breathe as it was now, and in a brief moment of clarity he could feel his flames licking up his throat. Gajeel pulled back at the sudden intense heat radiating from the fire dragon slayers burning, bloodied mouth and found himself sickly satisfied with the red staining the others lips. The Salamander's eyes narrowed, embers visible in the back of his throat, flickering like crackling wildfire, mirroring the panting the iron dragon slayer had also succumbed to.

"What the fuck was that?!" He spat, teeth bared and the iced ground beneath him thawing under the intense heat he had begun to release. Gajeel grinned wickedly, shifting his weight and leaning down to drag his tongue over the slowly drying blood he had left on the others face.

"Teaching you a lesson, Salamander" he growled between smooth, long strokes over Natsu's cheek. The pinkette turned his head to the side with a snort, scrunching his eyes up when Gajeel's tongue came just below his eye. What the hell did that mean? Teaching him a lesson? He snapped out of his musings when the iron dragon slayer pulled back with a pained growl, struggling to steady himself upright. With a scowl he fell back on his haunches and off Natsu, ignoring the intense pain from his lower spine; Slowly but surely, the Salamander pulled himself up in a seated position with a small frown – Gajeel really was injured. The burning in the pinkette's chest festered into an intense inferno, so with a roar he expelled the pent up fire into the dark sky, eyes narrowing.

What the hell was going on?!

* * *

**A/N: yes, no? like it or not? I wouldn't exactly call Gajeel's forced... kiss? consensual. But hey, the iron Gajeel is injured - though we don't know how badly ;) - and Natsu is hopelessly confused.**

**Find out next time, on the next episode of Dragon Ball Z... owaitwronganime.**

**Until next time, adios!**


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